Yahoo Working On New Design

Yahoo unveiled new versions of its Front Page and My Yahoo, showcasing enhancements in design and functionality to both.

Beta versions of both pages will be rolled out on a phased basis beginning today. The company expects to make the products generally available in the weeks following.

"The Yahoo Front Page and My Yahoo, the most popular start pages on the Internet, just got better so that it is even easier for consumers to start the tasks they want and get them done the way they need," said Geoff Ralston, chief product officer, Yahoo Inc. "By leveraging customer insights, Yahoo is delivering innovative products that respond to what consumers want and need. We became the number one site on the web by always listening to consumers and delivering quality products and services that reflect their evolving needs."

The Yahoo Front Page -- Easier to Use, More Personalized, More Essential Information

The Yahoo Front Page delivers essential information at a glance, allowing you to quickly and efficiently accomplish a task, whether on Yahoo or elsewhere on the web. Key elements include:

-- Streamlined design -- The page is easier than ever to navigate

-- More relevant navigation -- Personalized editable links give Yahoo! users one-click access to the products and services they use most

-- More updated, fresh content -- Content for entertainment, local weather and the Buzz Log, which details the most popular searches on the web, is continually updated to keep the page interesting and engaging throughout the day

-- More efficient search functionality - A new Yahoo Search box includes additional tabs to refine searches and make it easier for users to find exactly what they want

-- Much more -- Additional enhancements including a new, easier to use index of Yahoo services, targeted international links and a streamlined directory, have been designed to make the page even more relevant and easy to use

My Yahoo -- More Choice, More Openness and Greater Personalization

My Yahoo, the web's first and most popular personalized web page, is new and improved with a number of key enhancements:

-- Millions of sources and growing everyday -- My Yahoo supports open content syndication standards such as Really Simple Syndication (RSS) and Atom, enabling consumers to choose new sources across the web, from traditional news organizations to popular blogs -- virtually any site that offers a syndicated feed. And by leveraging Yahoo Search technology and the thousands of sources available via Yahoo News, users can now create custom modules based on a topic of interest. For example, a Yahoo News search for election coverage can be easily added to My Yahoo so that consumers can easily track the latest headlines. Additionally, the company has created a custom database of more than 150,000 content and service choices that consumers can search, browse and easily add to their page with just one click

-- Easier to use -- New users of My Yahoo will find a variety of starter packages to help them quickly create a personal page that reflects their unique interests from the start. My Yahoo now makes it easy to find and add content with just one click, by simply searching by keyword, choosing from what's popular, or browsing content hand-picked by Yahoo's team of editors. Consumers can even add content to My Yahoo by simply clicking the "Add to My Yahoo" buttons or text links now found on hundreds of pages across the web, on sites as diverse as BoingBoing, CBS MarketWatch, craigslist, Forbes.com, Gizmodo, iVillage, The New York Times, and many others

-- More control and flexibility -- Easier than ever to arrange, My Yahoo modules can be expanded, collapsed, deleted and moved - all without having to leave the page. My Yahoo even has new colors and themes to allow consumers to build pages that reflect their personal style. Consumers can further customize their page by indicating how many headlines to show per source, whether to display short summaries, even set time filters for how frequently to refresh the content of each module. They can also send their favorite modules to friends and family via email.

-- Take My Yahoo with you -- Yahoo! is also rolling out a new personalized mobile start page to provide instant access to My Yahoo content directly from their mobile phone. Consumers can also access their personal settings via Yahoo Messenger and Yahoo Toolbar

Yahoo Embraces Open Content Syndication

The company also launched a new page designed to help educate consumers about the benefits of RSS and related technologies. The page also provides web publishers with information on how to distribute their content via RSS, giving them the potential to reach the millions of potential readers who visit My Yahoo every day. Additionally, several key Yahoo properties, including Yahoo News, Yahoo Groups, and Yahoo! Search results pages, syndicate their content via RSS.

"We believe Yahoo is in a unique position to help bring the benefits of technologies like RSS to mainstream consumers. We are very proud of our long-standing history of finding ways to ensure consumers are getting the most out of their experiences both on the Yahoo! network and on the web at large," added Ralston.